Two S.J. hospitals honored by peers

STOCKTON - Two hospitals in San Joaquin County are among eight recognized by their peers as top performers that significantly reduced hospital acquired infections, sepsis mortality and the number of early elective deliveries at their facilities.

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By The Record

recordnet.com

By The Record

Posted Nov. 19, 2012 at 12:01 AM

By The Record

Posted Nov. 19, 2012 at 12:01 AM

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STOCKTON - Two hospitals in San Joaquin County are among eight recognized by their peers as top performers that significantly reduced hospital acquired infections, sepsis mortality and the number of early elective deliveries at their facilities.

Such accomplishments mean that hundreds of people had better health outcomes and millions of dollars in health care costs were avoided, according to the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California that presented the awards to St. Joseph's Medical Center of Stockton and Sutter Tracy Community Hospital.

The awards were given to recognize the success of the Hospital Council's Patient Safety First initiative, an innovative program that uses regional peer-to-peer learning to accelerate the adoption of patient-safety practices and strategies for improvement.

Other hospitals recognized for reducing two or more types of hospital-acquired infections to zero and maintaining that standard from April 2011 through June 2012 were Colusa Regional Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center, Memorial Medical Center of Modesto, St. Mary's Medical Center San Francisco.

Launched in 2010, Patient Safety First is a three-year, $6 million collaboration designed to improve quality of care, reduce health care costs and ultimately save lives by improving patient safety and perinatal care in California. The program is funded by Anthem Blue Cross, evaluated by the National Health Foundation and operated by California's regional hospital associations. A total of 180 hospitals participate in Patient Safety First, representing almost half of all hospitals in California.

A study by the National Health Foundation on the first two years of the program finds more than 973 lives have been saved as a result of reducing sepsis mortality. In addition, an estimated $19 million in costs were avoided as a result of this statewide patient safety initiative, $3.75 million of which was a result of reducing early elective deliveries.

"Our hospitals work hard every day to ensure all our patients get the quality care they expect and deserve. I'm thrilled at the results we're seeing from participating in Patient Safety First because they prove we can do even better when we work collaboratively," said Art Sponseller, president of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California."